


Of History and Sorrow

by ArcadiosV (Mariannie)



Series: The Archives [7]
Category: Guild Wars 2 (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Rytlock tries, Sad, lots of talking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:47:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26886838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mariannie/pseuds/ArcadiosV
Summary: The Commander and Rytlock get into an unexpected conversation about Sylvari and and some very traumatic events.
Series: The Archives [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2063736
Comments: 6
Kudos: 19





	Of History and Sorrow

**Author's Note:**

> Definitely spoils pretty much anything hat has happened until this current point in the icebrood saga.
> 
> I wondered about Ventari and so this came to be,  
> took a sharp turn into a completely different direction and right into the feels. yay!
> 
> (and you can keep the typos i am sure i missed some.)
> 
> GW2 has always been the game I poured my heart and soul into when real life got a bit too hard to handle.  
> So, i hope you can take this lighter than i do an enjoy reading it anyway.
> 
> Comments are greatly appreciated <3

Verne was brooding over a letter from Caithe when Rytlock knocked against the open door. They were staying in Divinity’s Reach for a day just to calm down, let everything sink in.

Marjory had organized a place for them, and Verne had half hidden in a room that wasn’t much bigger than a broom closet. He was sitting on the floor, boots discarded, gloves thrown across the room, shoulder plates next to them, although upright and obviously placed with great care. His weapons next to them on the floor. Bags and other stuff piled in the corner, even the cape Verne used to wear was at the pile. 

The Charr hadn’t seen him like this, not when he was unharmed and completely conscious. 

Verne looked up when he noticed the knock, gave Rytlock a nod. “Good morning, Rytlock. What is it?”

Something that could have been a smile crossed the other’s face. He held a piece of paper in his hand, and waved it around. “One of the kids out there asked if I knew about a Ventari. Said he got something to do with Caledon Forest so...” He trailed off.

Verne snorted and reached out to grab the piece of paper Rytlock held out to him. “Why didn’t you just say no?”

“Come on, they were human kids, learning about something other than war… Couldn’t turn that down.”

Verne heaved a heavy sigh in that distinctly commander-way of him. “Who is Ventari…” Verne read aloud. “What is written on his tablet…”

Rytlock grumbled. “Look, I really tried to say no- but…”

“They took you for a giant kitty and you couldn’t. Did they try to pet you?” 

“Hey- I am a respectable fighter. You were the one raving about my soft fur!” 

“While being high on mushroom spores. I told Taimi not to send that to anyone.” The beginning of a smirk tugged at his lips and his eyes wandered back to the paper. “You know what I just realized?”

“No?”

“The tablet is in the omphalos chamber… a place no human has ever seen.”

“So how do they know about it? Have you seen it?”

“Once, twice… Something along that.” Verne tugged at the edges of the paper. “I assume they know about it by word of mouth. Did their instructors would expect any actual answers.”

Rytlock settled down on the floor across from the sylvari and leaned against the wall. “So you’re gonna enlighten some humans and maybe a curious charr?”

“You’re curious?” Verne tilted his head with an amused smirk.“Why not ask Caithe? She’s a firstborn.”

“But she isn’t here.”

“Fair point.” Verne sighed, grabbed a book and placed the piece of paper on top of it. When he grabbed the quill, Rytlock shook his head. 

“You know there're chairs here.”

“I prefer to have my feet on solid ground.” Verne nodded over to the chairs and Rytlock grunted in agreement. 

“I hope you’re writing in Krytan.”

Verne rolled his eyes. “Have I ever sent you a letter you couldn’t read?”

“Mesmer magic.” 

“Yes, enchanted letters  _ just _ to mess with you.”

“So,” Rytlock muttered then, “Who is this Ventari?”

Verne paused writing, looked up. “A centaur who was tired of fighting and found a human called Ronan who planted a tree as a symbol for peace.”

“And then?”

“They stuck together until they died.”

“Romantic” Rytlock scoffed. “Strange. So Ventari was a centaur. ... And he wrote on a tablet.”

“Eight tenets. Sylvari live by it.”

“So what are they?”

Verne sighed, put the quill down and the book aside, Rytlock briefly noted that it was about the history of humans. “Just things some Sylvari say.”

Rytlock’s eyes widened. “Don’t tell me that a centaur wrote ‘Mulch’ on it.”

“Not that!”

The laugh of the charr echoed in the room. “You do cuss a lot.”

Verne snarled and shook his head, then he recited the eight tenets to the charr. 

“...sound like pretty general peacemaking stuff.”

Shrugging, Verne picked up his writing utensils again and continued to write. “I’m… not that connected to it as others are.”

“Why?”

A short silence settled over them before the Sylvari continued to speak. “... After Mordremoth... I started to question the pale tree.”

“You’re not going to mind wash charr and dredge and go crazy and blow up lion’s arch, right?”

“Why would I- Oh. No. Of course not.” Verne was almost offended by the implication of the statement. 

“Good.” Rytlock sounded genuinely relieved. “Is that why you never go back to Caledon?”

The quill scraped across the paper when Verne gripped it tighter. “I’m free to do whatever I want and as the commander, I’m usually busy anyway.”

“Isn’t this tree… kind of your mother?”

“Yes. But that does not mean I have a strong connection to her.”

Rytlock shrugged. “Makes sense. So you’re going to tell the kids about this Ventari?”

“Can’t hurt to know a bit more about it. Maybe they will stop calling me  _ Salad _ then.”

Another laugh of Rytlock echoed through the room. “Thanks.”

“Maybe you can help me reply to Caithe then.”

“She wrote?”

Verne grimaced and handed Rytlock the letter. Rytlock focused him in his gaze for a moment, frowned as he read the letter.

“It’s not that I want to talk bad about her, she is a valuable asset and her insight is important but…” Rytlock looked up as Verne continued to speak. “I value her input-”

“But do you trust her?”

Verne didn’t know how to reply to that. Saying the truth could have dire consequences. But lying also felt wrong.

“I am more cautious around her than the others. But I don't want to make my personal feelings an issue of the others.”

“You should talk more, really. About what you think.”

“I decide on what’s the best outcome for everyone. Whether I prefer it or not, this is not about me, but about everyone else getting at least partially what they want.” Verne explained. “I don’t want people to feel left out or unheard.”

Rytlock was silent for a moment, letting the words sink in. “So you hide that you are not on the same page as Caithe?”

“Aurene likes her...”

“Aurene likes everyone.”

Another sigh escaped the Sylvari. “My personal experience cannot and should not influence my decisions as the commander. Guide my way, yes, but not make me blind to logic and reason.”

Rytlock ran one of his giant paws across his face. “Wish some humans had that wisdom.”

“Act with wisdom, but act.” Verne recited one of the tenets. 

“Yeah yeah. But a centaur wrote that, they’re still infesting Kryta, the humans and the charr just managed to get some sort of peace- Asclaon is still full of ghosts. And here you are reading about human history.”

“If you can find me a book on Charr-history I’ll gladly read that too.”

Rytlock snorted. “I’ll ask around. Back on Caithe. Thought she raised you in a way.”

“It wasn’t so much raised as guidance. I quickly grew closer to Trahearne as his second in command.”

Rytlock grunted. “Did… you ever regret it?”

Verne squeezed the quill in his hand, locked his jaw. And turned his gaze away from the other. He knew exactly what he was talking about.

“... It was the right thing to do. He  _ wanted  _ me to…”

“Would you have done it, if he hadn’t?”

Verne tried to hide that his hands had started to tremble, but the quill gave it away. “... Rytlock, this isn’t-”

“Important? Look, beanstalk I’m not all that great with emotions and stuff, I just go slash at some trees, present company excluded, but killing a comrade, someone you looked up to-... This isn’t easy.”

“I’ve lost many people I was supposed to protect. And while that deeply hurts me, I cannot let that taint the way I execute my role.”

“You really do sound like Caithe.”

“Please…” Verne hissed, “don’t bring  _ him _ up.”

“You think I haven’t noticed you wielding caladbolg for a few weeks now? Fully intact somehow?”

Verne squeezed his eyes shut. “I got it repaired-”

“So are you lugging it around because you can’t let go of the past?”

“... I only had it restored, I never intended to wield it- I… The pale tree- She- I had Caladbolg restored because it was the right thing to do. It took quite a while. This is why it’s only recently-”

“Verne-” Rytlock interrupted as the sylvari wiped at his eyes, hunched over as if trying to hide away. 

He reached out, one clawed hand settling on a small shoulder. Verne flinched at the contact. “You don’t have to… keep that all bottled up- Braham-”

“I’m fine.” The sylvari managed, sounding much more composed as he gave the paper back to Rytlock and stood. “I should figure out what to write Caithe and-”

“Commander.” Rytlock’s voice held a warning as he too got back to his feet. “You can’t just always focus on others. You’re not one of this infernal golem things that never keel over-”

A grimace washed over Verne’s face then, twisted by the attempt to hide fresh tears, and Rytlock noticed his mistake. 

“I didn’t mean Blish-”

“ _ I left him out there- I could’ve- _ ” Verne's voice was thin, drowned in a half suppressed whine.

“If he hadn’t done that, we’d have never gotten to Kralk-”

“ _ I know- _ ” Hand clenched into fists, Verne turned his back to his friend, biting his lip to prevent any sounds coming from him. 

Rytlock shuffled around for a moment, then the light blanket from the bed in the room was placed over his shoulders. “Sorry…”

Verne only shook his head. It wasn’t Rytlock’s fault. If anything, it was his own. For not allowing himself to slow down, take a moment to grieve and then return to the fight. He had to be there for the others. Always. There was no exception.

**Author's Note:**

> I recently learned Sylvari bleed golden sap- 
> 
> also, I don't really strongly ship my character with anyone from the cast.  
> They're all just bros. 
> 
> Not sure if i hit the tone of Rytlock completely. But that's for you to decide haha.


End file.
